Office Poll: Here’s What the Interview Editors are Reading
Photo by Charlie Engman for Interview‘s Summer 2019 issue.
Reading is what? One of the many coping mechanisms, and widely-encouraged activities, to survive day-after-day of quarantine. Most people have a stack of books lying around that are desperately waiting to be read. That book left behind by your allegedly well-read ex-lover? Now’s the time to see what the fuss is all about. In the mood for a cathartic cry? More than likely, there’s a book in your home, right now, that can help you get there. With all this new-found free time, readers and non-readers alike are exploring new books, revisiting old tales, and dusting off timeless classics. We asked the Interview editors to share their current reads, from homosexual erotica to stories of champagne-popping Hollywood dolls, there’s a book for everyone. Just remember: don’t judge a book by its cover.
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CHRISTOPHER BOLLEN
Editor at Large
Pretty Things by Janelle Brown
“I’m reading this terrific grifter thriller which, like all the best con-artist novels, is really a story about class and privilege, who deserves what, and who has to cloak their identity in order to run off with a piece of it. I’ve never been to Lake Tahoe, but Brown excels at bringing it to such rich life.”
If Venice Dies by Salvatore Settis
“An alarming and necessary treatise on how much there is to lose when we don’t work to save one of our most enchanting cities on the planet. It’s out by New Vessel Press, an exciting independent New York publishing house that has been putting out some riveting works in translation.”
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ERNEST MACIAS
Editorial Assistant
Valley of the Dolls by Jacquelin Susanne
“Anyone who knows me knows I am obsessed with the Real Housewives universe. I have been consuming obscene amounts of Bravo marathons during the quarantine. This book sort of feels like an extension of that world.”
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
“I’ve started this book many times before and was never quite able to get through it. Several of my Instagram friends have told me that this book has made them cry like no other, and quite honestly, that’s the reason I chose to revisit it in quarantine. I feel like a cathartic cry is in order. It’s been two days since my last one.”
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NICK HARAMIS
Editor in Chief
“I’m reading Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister, the Serial Killer. There’s lots of bleach talk in the book. Feels timely.”
ALEXA LANZA
Market Editor
“I am currently reading Survival Through Design by Richard Neutra. I also just finished How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell. It felt appropriate.”
SARAH NECHAMKIN
Digital Editor
Severance by Ling Ma
“The only thing that seems to be making me feel better about our world falling apart is consuming stories about other worlds falling apart, or rather, what happens after that. Severance is dark yet scintillatingly satisfying, like a bourbon on the rocks after a long day of Zoom calls that could’ve been e-mails.”
Carrie by Stephen King
“For the woman stewing with pandemic-induced rage, might I suggest none other than Carrie, a book about a girl stewing with rage (and pig’s blood). If only the virus could be massacred by the telekinetic might of Carrie. A girl can dream.”
JACK VHAY
Designer
Blind Spot by Teju Cole
“I highly recommend this book if you are a photography lover. It’s a wonderful exercise in the various ways images can be interpreted.”
A Beautiful Crime by Christopher Bollen
“I’m about halfway through A Beautiful Crime by Interview‘s very own Chris Bollen (hi Chris!). It’s a very welcome and pleasurable escape, to say the least.”
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MICHAEL QUINN
Photography Director
A Beautiful Crime by Christopher Bollen
“I just got my copy in the mail too! See you kids in Venice.”
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SARAH MORRISON
Photography Producer
Role Models by John Waters
“I’ve been a John Waters film fan for a long time, but have never read any of his work. I’m just starting, but I instantly relate to the awe and obsession he has for all of these note-worthies, and how he so strongly feels both at one with them and completely unrelated to them.”
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
“I made myself finish the series before I started reading the book, which, in full disclosure, I hear is worse than the show. Hoping to be proven wrong. So far, so good.”
Big Little Lies by Laine Moriarty
“While I waited to finish Little Fires, I needed to get my Reese Witherspoon novel as a limited series fix and read Big Little Lies, which is excellent. The show was so true to the novel, but the novel is able to dive even deeper into the psyche of these women, which brings new life into how I view the show. “
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MITCHELL NUGENT
Manager, Brand Marketing, and Partnerships
Perfect Freedom by Gordon Merrick
“I started collecting Merrick’s novels from the 1970s last year and their cover art is the trashy, sexy summer escapism I need right now. See here for your viewing pleasure!”
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MEL OTTENBERG
Creative Director
Glamorama by Bret Easton Ellis
“I’m reading this book for the third time. It feels right to be re-reading my favorite New York City horror story during my endless New York City quarantine.”
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LAUREN TABACH-BANK
Entertainment Director
“I just finished re-reading an old book called Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk. I also just started reading Them by Joyce Carol Oates (My parents’ old edition from 1969).
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KELLY BRANT
President
“Your Baby’s First Year Week by Week and The Folded Clock: A Diary by Heidi Julavitz.”
